Improvement in the modes of attaching topwiasts and top-gallant-masts



'diend itirt anni Gtiiid.

Letters Patent No. 113,738, dated April 18, 1871.

IMPROVEMENT IN THE MODES OF ATTACHING TOPMAS'I'S AND TOPGALLANTIMASTS.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of thesame.

To whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEvEnn'rT BROWN, of New York, in the county andState of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inFitting and Fastenin g Topmasts and Top-GallantMasts 5 and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure1v is a perspective view of two parts of a mast united in accordancewith my invention.

Figures 2 and 3 are like views of the two parts separate.

The ordinary method of supporting the topmast upon the lower mast of avessel is by means of a iid vpassing through the lower end of thetopmast, and

resting ou the trestle-.trees; and, in like manner, the top-gallantmastis supported upon the topmast. Thus the trestle-trees of the lower mastare requiredl to-sustain the' whole weight and strain of the masts andrigging above, while the trestle-trees of the topmast must uphold theweight of the top-gallantmast and its appurtenances.' Ihe effect of thisupon the trestle-trees, and, especially upon those of the lower mast, isvery injurious, as is well known, and it becomes necessary to renew themcomparatively frequently.

This operation is troublesome, and attended with considerable expense,for not only are the trestletrees themselves costly, but the sendingdown of the masts and rigging above, which must be done before the oldtrestle-trees can be removed and replaced by new ones, entails anexpenditure of time and money well wort-hy of being saved.

The object of my invention is to remove the weight of the upper mastsfrom the trestle-trees below, and to transfer this office of the'trestle-trees to the masts themselves, so that the topmast shalldirectly sup- ,port the weight'of the top-gallant-inast, and the lowermast directly support the weight of those above. To this, end, the endsofthe two masts are seal-fed; or, in other words, I form a shoulder inthe upper end of the lower mast and in the lower end of the'upper mastin such, manuel' that when the two ends are applied together theshoulder of the upper will rest directly upon the shoulder of the lowermast.- The latterl thus directly supports the weight of the mast ormasts and rigging above it, and the two parts being united by straps orbauds, form, in effect, one continuous mast.

To enable those skilled in the ait tounderstand and use my invention, Iwill.,now proceed to describe the manner in which the same is or may becarried into eiect, by reference to the accompanying drawing.

Let it be supposed, vin this instance, that A represents the lower mast,B the topmast, and G the trestle-trees,upon which is the iid whichpasses through the end of the topmast.

I form on the upper end of the mast A a shoulder or ledge, 1,11pon,which a corresponding shoulder or projection, b, formed by recessingor' cutting away a portion ofthe lower end ofthe topmast rests when thetwo masts are tted together, as shown in g. l. By this means the weightof the topmast is borne directly by the lower mast,fall verticalpressure being removed from the trestle-trees for the purposehereinbefore specified.

The same mode of. uniting the two ends is to be followed in fittingtogether the topmast and top-gallant-mast, and, in general; in allinstances where the trestle-trees are ordinarily employed to sustain thesuperincumbent weight of sparsand rigging.

The ordinary means for binding together the two ends may be employed,but for greater 'security I prefer to place a band around the two, nearthe point where the shouldersa b meet; and this baud I prefer toconstruct inthe` manner seen in the drawing, where it is represented-asconsisting of two parts, c d, hinged together at one end, and providedou the opposite side with ears, through which a screw-bolt,f, passes.The head' of the bolt bears againstl the part c, while its opposite endpasses through a stationary nut, g. Y

By screwing up the bolts the two parts, c d, will be drawn tightlytogether, and the two masts can thus .be clamped more or less tightly,as may be necessary.

Having now described my invention, and the manner in which the same isor may be carried into effect, l

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

'The method of fitting and securing the topmast and top-gallantmasts ofvessels in the manner herein described, so that the mast above shallrestupon and be directly supported by the mast immediately below, insteadofthe trestle-trees of such masts, as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my Aname to this specification beforetwo subscribing witnesses.

LEVERETT BROWN. \Vitnesses:

M. BAILEY, A. POLLoK.

